Wednesday, December 31, 2008

I like the following arcade-games /computer-games / video-games / board-games / sports (These are grouped by the computing/gaming/logical platform they belong to, and within each group they are sorted alphabetically. The groups themselves are sorted alphabetically)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Intent of this post: To enlist the movies and other videos (documentaries, TV shows, etc.) that I've seen, along with metadata about my viewing experience for each of them.

Limitations: The list is not intended to be exhaustive. I will not add every movie / video I watch to this list (because of multiple reasons). Additionally, all those short-duration videos that I frequently watch on various websites (YouTube, Yahoo! Video, etc.) will not be enlisted here. I will generally also not add repeat watches of movies / videos (something I do non-infrequently). Retroactive addition will be done, but not at the cost of my convenience.

Policies to be followed on this post: Movie / video title, date of watching, watched with, place of watching, comments, verbal rating, numerical rating and other information will be written (in the aforesaid sequence) against each movie / video (whenever these fields are available). A '~' symbol along with a date indicates that it is approximate. Items will be sorted in a descending order by date (whenever available), and alphabetically when the date is equal (and otherwise as well). Insertion sort will be used to add items retroactively.

A discussion of the ratings I will give: I intend to give a numerical rating to each movie/video on a scale of 0 to 100. How do I decide what score to give to a movie/video? If I liked a movie a lot, should it be given 70 or 75 or 80? Who decides the rules? Well, this problem is actually a little interesting one, because numerical ratings are relative in nature, and not absolute (at least as far as the current situation is concerned). This is because we do not know the end points (0 and 100). We do not have a movie which we know deserves 100, and that no other movie can ever exceed its goodness. Hence I start by giving two of my most-loved movies (Hindustani and Terminator 2 Judgment Day) a score of ~95 each. I shall give scores to the initially added movies/videos relative to these two. Subsequently, however, it will keep getting easier to give scores as I will have an increasing number of precedents to compare with. It is very interesting to note that verbal ratings can be given without comparison- they seem to be more absolute than the numerical ratings.

Relation with my psychology: Any psychologist/psychiatrist can tell you that my psychology can be deciphered/understood better from this post, by analyzing the movies/videos I watch, and the comments and ratings I give to them. There's a lot more information present in this post than is visible to eyes, at the first glance at least!

IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes connection: It'll be interesting to compare my numerical ratings to the average user ratings of the same movies/videos on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes (I haven't done this yet). If my ratings turn out to be approximately same / similar as those on IMDB / Rotten Tomatoes, it shall mean that my ratings are a representative of the average ratings that a bunch of people give, and that my ratings can be believed (at least if you believe IMDB / Rotten Tomatoes ratings). If not, then my ratings are unique to my likings and not a representative of the overall public

Crook (On: 06-Feb-13) (At: Ldh.) (Comments: The first half of the movie was good, but the second half and especially the last quarter were hopeless. The movie could've been much better. Neha Sharma acted well and shows potential.) (Verbal Rating: Fine) (Numerical Rating: 55)

1984: A Sikh Story (On: 06-Nov-12) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: I liked knowing more about the recent past of my state, Punjab, although this is a clearly biased and pro-Sikh film, which keeps the other side of the story hidden, most likely deliberately. Curiously, Sonia Deol keep portraying Operation Blue Star as an "attack on the Golden Temple", and not as an "attack on Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his militants". This film is at best Sonia Deol's personal opinion, which cannot be given the broader BBC label.) (Verbal Rating: Good, albeit heavily biased.) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Compulsion (On: 06-Nov-12) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: A gust of fresh air. It was great to see British and British-Indian culture, and the story was nice too.) (Verbal Rating: Brilliant.) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Eurofighter - Weapon of Mass Construction (On: 31-Oct-12) (With: Alone) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: This isn't a weapon of construction. With its body drenched in the blood of Libyan civilians, the Eurofighter is another Western demon.) (Verbal Rating: Good.) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Third Presidential Debate: Obama vs. Romney (Complete - Closed Caption) (On: 24-Oct-12) (With: Alone) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: Much of what these guys debated was a repetition, but it was more interesting to note what was not touched, rather than what was. And Romney, America is not the "hope of the Earth", for heaven's sake! It's a curse!) (Verbal Rating: Okay...) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Rog (On: 22-Oct-12) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: Would've been much better had it not been so dark and slow.) (Verbal Rating: Watchable.) (Numerical Rating: 55)

Second Presidential Town Hall Debate 2012 (On: 17-Oct-12) (With: Alone) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: Economy, jobs and oil were the dominant themes of the debate, and I think Romney is making a serious mistake by trying too hard to paint a negative picture of Obama. I don't like either of them because both of them are going to murder innocent people around the world anyway, but I really think Romney should, like Obama, talk more positively. His words have quite a lot of negativity, and he talks too little about himself, except repeating the very shallow "I know what it takes to..." statement endlessly. Obama, on the other hand, talks more positively, and shows a path to a future. Romney also fails to touch and inspire. Overall, I think Obama destroyed Romney in this debate.) (Verbal Rating: Amusing) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Air Crash Investigation - Out of Control (On: 12-Oct-12) (At: UTown, NUS) (Comments: While I salute the pilots who kept the airliner aloft for a very long time, I'm unhappy about the very late rescue efforts, which killed many survivors.) (Verbal Rating: Quite good) (Numerical Rating: 75)

National Geographic - Seconds From Disaster - Space Shuttle Explosion (On: 7-Aug-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Supports my long-held belief that managers shouldn't be allowed to come in the way of engineers, especially when it comes to issues such as safety. MBAs who don't know engineering/science are just incapable of making informed decisions about some things. We must accept this ugly truth. And kudos to James Chiles for investigating this disaster in detail, and for helping to bring out the truth.) (Verbal Rating: Excellent.) (Numerical Rating: 75)

PBS (FRONTLINE) - Flying Cheap (On: 31-Jul-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: One of the best documentaries I've seen ever. The most investigative aviation documentary ever. The world really needs such documentaries on every subject of contemporary importance.) (Verbal Rating: Very, very good.) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Delhi Belly (On: 2-Jul-11) (With: Saurabh) (At: PVR Flamez, Ludhiana) (Comments: Minus the disgusting mondo film portions, the movie was a gust of fresh air!) (Verbal Rating: A nice movie, except that the makers have banked on elements of an exploitation film in order to awe the audience of India.) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Hudson Splash Down(On: ~Jun'11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana)
(Comments: One very important event post the ingestion of birds was the Captain's turning on of the APU, which allowed the A320's computers to keep the aircraft well inside the flight envelope.)
(Verbal Rating: Decent documentary.) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Air Crash Investigation - Stalled in the Sky (Dead Tired)(On: 30-May-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana)
(Comments: Perhaps aircraft of the future will detect and warn the crew about possibly incorrect actions in situations such as a stall.)
(Verbal Rating: Good documentary.) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Air Crash Investigation - A Wounded Bird (One Wing Flight) (On: 29-May-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana)
(Comments: What surprised me is that at impact, everyone survived, and deaths only occurred later due to fire and due to a delay in the arrival of fire-fighting and medical services. This underscores the importance of calling emergency services in time.)
(Verbal Rating: Good documentary.) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Blow Out (Ripped from the Cockpit)(On: 29-May-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana)
(Comments: Aside from the main stories, another thing that this documentary shows is how resilient millions of years of evolution has made human life. His body held on to life even under the fiercest conditions that would without doubt extinguish any human.)
(Verbal Rating: Chilling documentary.) (Numerical Rating: 85)

National Geographic - Seconds From Disaster - Crash of the Comet (On: 22-May-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: The documentary succeeds in temporarily transporting you back to the 1950s. It's a tragedy that design and manufacturing defects in the Comet prevented it from becoming a highly successful airliner.) (Verbal Rating: Great.) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Faces of Death (On: 19-Mar-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: This is not a usual documentary or movie. It's different, it's the ugly truth made naked, and if you don't feel the depth of what the guy is trying to convey, you really don't have a right to comment about this invaluable film.) (Verbal Rating: Beyond excellent.) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

Russell Peters: Red, White and Brown (On: 13-Mar-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Although I hate Peters' harsh attacks on Indians, I found this show very funny.) (Verbal Rating: Very funny, even if a bit anti-Indians.) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Naked Fear (On: 13-Mar-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Even though some parts of the story are difficult to digest, the movie is nonetheless entertaining.) (Verbal Rating: A good one-time watch.) (Numerical Rating: 65-70)

History Channel - Most Extreme Airports(On: 01-Mar-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Interesting, but I would've ranked Kai Tak higher. Also, there could've been at least one African airport in this list.) (Verbal Rating: Teaches so much about airports!) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

Bing Faces Off Against Google Over Search Results(On: 6-Feb-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: The best part of this video is this dialog - "I have too many ideas, I have not enough engineers.") (Verbal Rating: Thoroughly enjoyable!) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

Pirates of Silicon Valley (On: 12-Jan-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: With much fresh juice and blood in the Silicon Valley, it's time for a sequel) (Verbal Rating: Such a nice movie, not so much about Jobs and Gates as about the birth of the PC) (Numerical Rating: 75)

National Geographic - Caught on Safari: Battle at Kruger (On: 10-Jan-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Reminded me of the beautiful time spent last year at Kruger National Park) (Verbal Rating: An insightful deconstruction of an impressive series of events that unfolded at Kruger) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (On: 2-Jan-11) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Poor dialogs, poor delivery of dialogs, poor direction, and a disappointing performance by the lead lady. Yet not bad for a one time watch.) (Verbal Rating: Fine one time watch.) (Numerical Rating: 55-60)

Dispatches - Terror in Mumbai (On: 5-Dec-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: My already-high respect for the NSG commandos rose further after watching this documentary. Also, I realized the gravity of 26/11 for the first time after watching this documentary.) (Verbal Rating: Very good documentary on 26/11 attacks) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Anjaana Anjaani (On: 9-Oct-10) (With: Saurabh) (At: PVR Flamez, Ludhiana) (Comments: Except for the first few minutes that were interesting, the rest of the movie is a dud. Kiddies who have no work but to fool around with their girlfriends might like such pointless movies, and girlfriends fooling around with these kiddies might as well like the movie, as might the people who tend to get easily impressed by even mediocre things. Unfortunately, this class of sheep seems to account for more than nine out of ten people around us) (Verbal Rating: Bakwas picture) (Numerical Rating: 50)

We Were Soldiers (On: 8-Oct-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Yet another disastrous movie about war that plays the cheap "America" card. And how blatantly it does! Whoever made this piece of HorseShit actually let down his "America" by instilling hatred, and not respect, for Americans. The morons who crafted this movie seem to believe that the audience is uncritical and uneducated, that they can't see how American invaders have been portrayed as good boys with cute kids and loving wives, whereas the patriotic soldiers of Vietnam have been portrayed as emotionless fighting machines. What's even more blatant are the desperate attempts that have been made to blanket this bias, by frugally sprinkling bits of emotion and life into the Vietnam men, but carefully ensuring that "America" and its greatness constitute 95% of the movie, while Vietnam and its brave soldiers defending their motherland from greedy American invaders constitute only 5%. Thank god, unlike most of those in America, I don't buy this nefariously-twisted propaganda) (Verbal Rating: A purposely biased movie that distorts truth) (Numerical Rating: 55-60)

The Silence of the Lambs (On: 2-Oct-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: A brilliant movie, except that the mistake made by Buffalo Bill at the end of the movie appears too unreal. It's highly unlikely that a killer as smart as Bill would make it so easy for Clarice to kill him. Also, the way Clarice realizes that Bill is a tailor isn't persuasive enough) (Verbal Rating: Great movie with brilliant performance by Hopkins. Worth every minute, but with some important flaws) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Discovery Channel - Man Made Marvels: Hangzhou Bay Bridge (On: 26-Sep-10) (With: Raghav) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: It's too frustrating to see India and Indians stuck with Ayodhya, while the Chinese are building awe-inspiring engineering marvels such as the Hangzhou Bay Bridge) (Verbal Rating: A good documentary on a disbelief-inspiring structure) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Great Planes: North American XB-70 Valkyrie(On: 18-Aug-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: I'm stunned by the grace and the phenomenal power and speed of the Valkyrie. It's a pity that the XB-70 never went into production) (Verbal Rating: Nice documentary about an unmatched aircraft) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (On: 4-Aug-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: A gust of fresh air, after years of never-ending and practically worthless - leaving aside the health benefits - comedies of the Sharook and the Salmon Khans. Rocket Singh is poised to have an actual impact - it succeeds in evoking entrepreneurial spirit in the viewer) (Verbal Rating: Inspiring, nice, well-made, worth-watching) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Great Planes: Boeing 747 (On: 27-Jul-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Has left me shivering. A documentary can have so much impact on the human mind?) (Verbal Rating: I don't have a term to justifiably describe how great a documentary this is) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Blue (On: 23-Jun-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: When will Bollywood realize that its desperate attempts to match the special-effects packed action sequences of Hollywood movies have failed consistently and embarrassingly?) (Verbal Rating: Not a good movie) (Numerical Rating: 45)

Premonition (On: 3-Jun-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Unnecessarily complicated, this movie would've been better had it been made simpler. And the ending could've been far better) (Verbal Rating: Okay, but not great) (Numerical Rating: 60)

A Few Good Men (On: 31-May-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Such a nice movie - reminds me of men with principles, as shown in Crimson Tide. The background music gives me a feeling of the 90s. I love watching courtroom scenes, and I enjoyed watching the case proceedings in this movie. This is the first time I watched Demi Moore, and admittedly, I'm floored) (Verbal Rating: Great movie) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Oldboy (On: 28-May-10) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: After such a long time have I watched a movie with so much depth, emotion and spell. No problems faced watching this Korean movie with subtitles) (Verbal Rating: Brilliant) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Ishqiya (On: 22-May-10) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: The movie started-off well and kept raising expectations till about 50% or 67% of its length, before sliding down. The last 33% is the movie is complicated, and apparently made-up. As expected, however, Naseeruddin Shah was beyond excellent, with the bus scene around 1:06:40 the best scene of this movie) (Verbal Rating: Good but flawed movie) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (On: 2-May-10) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: The movie has good intention, although the execution could've been more believable) (Verbal Rating: Good movie) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Tum Mile (On: 3-4-10 to 4-4-10) (With: Alone) (At: Airbus A340; Somewhere over Africa) (Comments: Although I did not like the movie, it evoked memories of my just concluded stay at South Africa. The scenes showing Cape Town touched me and made me smile. I've seen those roads and I've driven on them, and it actually surprised me that a random movie I started watching during my flight had a significant portion of it shot in the country I was leaving, and feel attached to) (Verbal Rating: A timepass movie) (Numerical Rating: 60)

The Mountain of the Cannibal God (On: 28-3-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Bears some resemblence to Cannibal Holocaust, although this one's less gory. After having gotten drenched in technology for many weeks, watching only animals and nature for two hours felt nice) (Verbal Rating: Not a very good movie, but a good change nonetheless) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Air Crash Investigation - Mistaken Identity(On: 20-2-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Intense rage is what I felt as I watched this pro-US documentary. The US government's account is the only account being shown, and the Iranian government's account is nowhere to be seen. There is no mention of the fact that the US did not ever apologize to the Iranian government. It feels all the time that the documentary is trying to justify this unpardonably barbaric act, apparently committed purposely, on the day I turned exactly two years old) (Verbal Rating: A biased documentary) (Numerical Rating: 20)

Air Crash Investigation - Frozen in Flight(Deep Freeze) (On: 6-2-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Made me understand the phenomenon called icing, and its dangerous effect on airliners. Also made me realize that planes made by smaller makers of civilian/business aircraft such as ATR, Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream, Saab, etc., may not be as safe - particularly in rare and unusual situations - as the planes made by Airbus/Boeing, due the latter's far more extensive experience, resources, and R&D) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Fanning the Flames (Cargo Conspiracy) (Mystery Fire) (On: 26-1-10) (With: Alone) (At: 83, Central Street, Houghton, Jo'burg) (Comments: Could this disaster have been avoided, had the 747 Combi been equipped with an automatically-triggered fire-extinguishing system, at least in the cargo area - something like those in modern buildings?) (Verbal Rating: Good documentary) (Numerical Rating: 70)

3 Idiots (On: 16-1-10) (With: Divyanshu, Kaushik, Mausam, Neha) (At: The Zone, Rosebank, Jo'burg) (Comments: As an engineer and someone who aspires to be a real engineer, I felt offended and outraged at the so-called physics and engineering, the way it has been portrayed in this movie. The film-makers seem to believe that their audience is uneducated and even unintelligent, and it's apparent that little research went into verifying the science depicted in the movie. I really do not wish to start commenting on the childbirth scene, the inverter and the vacuum cleaner, and all I want to write here is that 3 Idiots lacks depth, is uninspiring, predictable, tries too hard - visibly so, to the extend of appearing like a wannabe - but ultimately fails to touch and move) (Verbal Rating: At best a funny movie... everything else is undeserved hype. Actually, to be honest, it's unadulterated BS) (Numerical Rating: 50)

Air Crash Investigation - Panic Over the Pacific (6 Mile Plunge) (On: 13-1-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: As much as I was impressed by the crew when they successfully landed the aircraft - after a lengthy and damaging free-fall - I was disappointed to know that their own actions were partly responsible for the near-disaster. However, one hero that silently performed and held itself together was the Boeing 747... am impressed) (Verbal Rating: Nice documentary... am all praises for Boeing and the 747) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Ocean Landing (African Hijack) (On: 12-1-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Sad to see that we're still in a world in which aircraft can be hijacked by people with nefarious intentions, and zero understanding of a modern airliner. Separately, I learnt something important from this documentary - that one should never inflate one's life-jacket until one is in water) (Verbal Rating: Good documentary... taught me something important) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Avatar (3D) (On: 10-1-10) (With: Divyanshu, Kaushik) (At: Sandton City, Jo'burg) (Comments: I'm delighted, absolutely delighted, that James Cameron's most recent creation lived up to very high standards he had set with the Terminator series. I could spot cues of the Terminator series in this movie - war of humanoids against the machines, a leader of the Resistance, among others. And please, if you're one of those who didn't like Avatar, kindly take comfort in the fact that you belong to that minority because of whom Avatar scores only 8.7, and not a perfect 10 on IMDb) (Verbal Rating: So good that it touches) (Numerical Rating: 90-95)

Air Crash Investigation - Head-on Collision (Collision Course) (Crash Course) (Sight Unseen) (On: 9-1-10) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Even though I had previously read thoroughly about this catastrophe multiple times, I clearly recollect how much chilling feeling I had when I was watching this documentary) (Verbal Rating: Chilling... but a well-made documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

Jashnn - The Music Within (On: 3-1-10 to 4-1-10) (With: Alone) (At: Started on a Boeing 777, somewhere over the Pakistani airspace and then over the Arabian Sea; Finished on an Airbus A340, somewhere over the Middle East) (Comments: A fine timepass movie if you have nothing better to watch) (Verbal Rating: Fine one-time watch) (Numerical Rating: 55-60)

A Christmas Carol (On: 14-11-09) (With: Arpan, Divyanshu, Hemant, Ipsa, Kaushik, Krishnan, Mausam, Neha, Vivek) (At: The Zone, Rosebank, Jo'burg) (Comments: The first 3D movie I've watched. Took me back to my school days, when we enacted this play in our class, and made me feel choked, haunted and restless by reminding me of some things in the near and the far past) (Verbal Rating: Good movie) (Numerical Rating: 60-65)

Bheja Fry(On: 7-11-09) (With: Divyanshu, Kaushik, Krishnan, Mausam, Pradeep) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Although I watched only the later 75% of this movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I intend to watch the full movie again...) (Verbal Rating: Great comedy!) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Up(On: 6-11-09) (With: Divyanshu, Ipsa, Kaushik, Krishnan, Mausam, Vivek) (At: The Zone, Rosebank, Jo'burg) (Comments: It's the first animated movie I've watched, and I loved it. A lot. The movie made me feel like a kid... there were moments when I was clasping my fingers and gnashing my teeth, hoping that all goes well with Russell, Kevin, Mr. Fredricksen, and Dug. I'm so happy I watched this movie. And I'm also happy that this movie made me understand the business of animated films a little better - through first-hand experience) (Verbal Rating: Very good animated movie. Worth every minute) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

National Geographic Channel - CIA Secret Experiments (On: 1-11-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Surprising and enlightening to know that USA's CIA was covertly performing such horrendous and inhumane experiments on real, alive humans, in the name of national safety. I won't be surprised if I'm told that the CIA does this even now) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Air Crash Investigation - Missing Over New York (Deadly Delay) (On: 26-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: How enraging it was to see the Avianca aircraft being delayed repeatedly - caught amidst bureaucracy - ultimately leading to fuel-starvation and a deadly crash of the Boeing 707) (Verbal Rating: Good documentary) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Lost (Crash on the Mountain) (On: 25-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Sad to see how super-experienced pilots of the Boeing 757 reached a level of complacency, assuming that now they know this monster-machine well. And that's why this tragedy happened) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

Air Crash Investigation - Deadly Crossroads (Mid-Air Collision) (A Father's Revenge) (On: 25-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Amazing how two aircraft could collide in mid-air, despite independent maneuvers being performed by both the pilots. It's also an alarming demonstration of how a collision-prevention system such as TCAS can actually become a significant contributor to causing a collision) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

Air Crash Investigation - Flying Blind(On: 25-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Furthered my understanding of the operation of an aircraft and its onboard systems... it's sad though that a beautiful Boeing 757 went down in the Pacific due to an insignificant piece of tape) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Air Crash Investigation - Fire on Board (Fire in the Sky)(On: 24-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Just the thought of fire-in-the-cockpit is chilling... I imagine what the passengers and crew must be thinking) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Air Crash Investigation - Flying on Empty(On: 24-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Interesting to see a veteran pilot assume that "the computer must be erring", causing a pilot-error in this process... lol) (Verbal Rating: Good documentary) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Air Crash Investigation - Unlocking Disaster (Ripped From The Sky)(On: 24-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: I salute the three brave men, who maintained their composure, and safely landed the disaster-stricken Boeing 747; I also salute the Campbell duo, who relentlessly pursued their own investigation of United Airlines Flight 811, and made public certain alarming design-flaws, that will make us all safer for decades to come) (Verbal Rating: Great documentary) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Battle at Kruger(On: 18-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Riviera Mansions, Jo'burg) (Comments: Never again will I say that animals are emotionless machines, or that they don't have feelings of love for their community/offsprings) (Verbal Rating: Unbelievable) (Numerical Rating: 90)

All The Best: Fun Begins (On: 16-10-09) (With: Kaushik, Mausam and Vivek) (At: The Zone, Rosebank, Jo'burg) (Comments: The movie is so ridiculous that it actually revolves a full circle around the imaginary sphere of movie-goodness, crosses over the line of hyper-ridiculousness, and comes back to the line of goodness from the opposite side... lolz) (Verbal Rating: Nice and bad!) (Numerical Rating: 60)

13B (On: 8-10-09) (With: Alone) (At: Boeing 777; Somewhere in the Pakistani airspace; Somewhere over the Arabian Sea; Somewhere in the Dubai airspace) (Comments: A poor movie that should only be watched if there's nothing else available) (Verbal Rating: What a waste!) (Numerical Rating: 45)

National Geographic Channel MegaStructures - Mega Ship (On: 25-9-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Interesting to see how good are transported around the globe, what issues arise, and how logistics are handled. Quite interesting and insightful) (Verbal Rating: A good documentary about a huge container-ship, that awes the viewer) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Cruel Intentions 3 (On: 1-9-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I thought this was going to be similar to Euro Trip, and Road Trip. It wasn't. Although good, the movie would've been better had it been kept non-serious) (Verbal Rating: A fine one-time watch) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Swimming Pool (On: 14-8-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A very nice movie. Intellectual and engrossing, it keeps you interested with its daring candidness and mystery. The open-ended ending is something that makes you both love and hate it) (Verbal Rating: Loved it) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Death Race (On: 13-8-09 to 14-8-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: For first few minutes, I felt that the movie may not turn out to be good. It became interesting past the first 30 minutes. There's some good action and speed in this movie, mixed with some superheated steam. In short, an adrenaline-pumping mixture) (Verbal Rating: A good action-filled enjoy-it-and-forget-it type of movie) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Sex Drive (On: 9-8-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It's been quite a long time since I watched Euro Trip and Road Trip. When I read the plot of Sex Drive, I was instantly interested - it felt similar to Road Trip... this is a fun-filled movie that makes you laugh, with some innovative new words like Cockspert) (Verbal Rating: If you loved Euro Trip and Road Trip, you're gonna love this one too) (Numerical Rating: 65)

National Geographic - On Board Marine One (On: 8-8-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I finally got to see the other aircraft. When I started watching this documentary, I initially got the impression that Marine One is just a poor cousin of Air Force One. Deeper into the documentary, its role and its importance become clearer. The epic moment, however, is around 25:00 when a McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III is shown taking off - very, very majestically. I've already watched this scene perhaps 10 times) (Verbal Rating: A good documentary about the Presidential Helicopter of the US President) (Numerical Rating: 65-70)

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (On: 31-7-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It's a movie with some things good and some bad. Although it was able to entertain me overall, I must say that most of the dialogs and acting are quite pathetic. Some of the scenes seem forced and unnecessary, and the movie tries to make them interesting by sprinkling gore and violence) (Verbal Rating: A poor sequel, although a watchable movie in absolute terms) (Numerical Rating: 55-65)

The Hills Have Eyes (On: 26-7-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Looks like today I'm watching good movies! The Hills Have Eyes is a nicely made movie, based around some ill-genetic effects on humans at the towns where the US had conducted nuclear tests in the past, and the consequential hatred these mutants develop for the normals. Two of the things I liked were the clever trick that Bobby and Brenda pulled off with the trailer, and Doug's new-found bravery that saved Catherine's life, among other things) (Verbal Rating: A good movie overall) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Wolf Creek (On: 26-7-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Although a work of fiction, Wolf Creek is surprisingly well-made, minus it's rather "open-ended" ending. It reminds me of movies such as Turistas, and Wrong Turn) (Verbal Rating: A nice movie that should've had a more "close-ended" ending) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Terminator Salvation (On: 17-7-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Being a non-James-Cameron-made movie - like Terminator 3 - I had quite low expectations from this movie. And it met those expectations nicely. Salvation is untrue to the spirit of Terminator. It seems the makers have no clue about what Terminator stands for, or what people feel about it. The dialogs are too casual. The movie is too predictable. The number of goofs in movie is so large that it'll take a day to list them all. Why is Kyle Reese - a true Resistance warrior, as portrayed in The Terminator - depicted as an idiotic civilian? The makers seem to have overlooked his character in The Terminator. Why are there only two Terminators inside the Skynet building? Where are the others when Marcus and John destroy the building? Why does Skynet have to orally talk to Marcus, and not communicate electronically? Why are there seemingly unnecessary and unexplained fires and sparks inside the Skynet building? I feel like vomiting thinking how the makers have raped the out-of-this-world movie series defined by The Terminator and Terminator 2. This one is worse than Terminator 3. These people will never understand the depth of the comments written on this video) (Verbal Rating: Only James Cameron understands what Terminator is all about) (Numerical Rating: 60)

New York (On: 11-7-09) (With: Arpit and Yuvraj) (At: Wave, CSM, Noida) (Comments: The first half is good, and I felt that perhaps this is going to be a good movie overall. The second half slows down a bit, things get a bit bollywoodish, and the story seems to be going nowhere. Overall a good movie, minus the many goofs. The NYSU scenes are nice and make me want to study abroad!) (Verbal Rating: A good movie that could've been much better) (Numerical Rating: 55-65)

The Virgin Suicides (On: 7-7-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A different type of movie. Kept me smiling halfway through. Made me quite nostalgic about my school days, and my childhood. Provides a glimpse into the enigmatic world of teenage girls - especially teen sisters. And a much needed caution to parents) (Verbal Rating: A good but sad movie) (Numerical Rating: 60-65)

X-Men: The Last Stand (On: 26-6-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Overall a good sequel, but I have severe complaints with Jean's role. With no previous indication of her split-personality, The Last Stand sees Jean suddenly transforming into a speechless monster that does more harm to the good X-Men than good. Felt so unrealistic) (Verbal Rating: A good sequel, but Jean's role could've been a little more realistic, and vocal) (Numerical Rating: 60-65)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (On: 21-6-09 to 22-6-09) (With: Kapil) (At: TDI Paragon, Delhi) (Comments: I had never seen an X-Men-series film before, and I had thought that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as those who would've already seen the first three films. Luckily, this film turned out to be a prequel... yay! And what else can one ask for if the movie itself is nice! Looking forward to watching the other three...) (Verbal Rating: Quite nice!) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Rock On!! (On: 9-6-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Makes me want to throw away all the never-ending "works" I have, and to start living my life; Surprisingly, I had guessed Rob's brain tumor much before it was revealed in the movie - on the basis of his headache + pills + hair-loss + looks + absence from the meeting + gut feeling; My favorite scene is near 1:13:20, when the guys are with that clown-like sponsor of the music album) (Verbal Rating: A beautiful movie on life, on death, on youth, on dreams and on friendship. Both touching and inspiring) (Numerical Rating: 75)

Mirrors (On: 7-6-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A horror movie which is good on most dimensions, except, crucially, its story. The story looks promising till about 75% of its length, and begins to show its cracks thereafter. I couldn't understand the whole point of many things, and there doesn't appear to be a convincing explanation of the overall story. The last scenes - except that lastmost - are quite pointless. Despite this serious weakness, the movie deserves to be watched once, for its nice special effects and a few interesting scenes) (Verbal Rating: A fine-to-nice one-time watch horror flick) (Numerical Rating: 55-65)

Google Wave Developer Preview at Google I/O 2009 (On: 7-6-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Wave is an amazing product, a modern tool that blends the disparate tools we currently use. And this video stunned me. Hope the product is successful) (Verbal Rating: So amazing, it scares!) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Discovery Channel - The Real Superhumans - And The Quest For The Future Fantastic (On: 24-5-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Makes me feel that many of the issues we all keep worrying about, they're all petty. Documentaries like this one raise and broaden our thinking, and make us realize that there's much, much more to our life than what we believe. This documentary almost scares me - the future is not going to be simple) (Verbal Rating: A must-watch for everyone) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Red Swastik (On: 15-5-09 to 16-5-09 to 24-5-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Rarely does it happen that I delete a movie upon watching it. This one I deleted) (Verbal Rating: A waste of time) (Numerical Rating: 35)

House of Sand and Fog (On: 23-5-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A sad tale of an unfortunate dispute turning into a series of disastrous events) (Verbal Rating: A beautiful movie. Worth every second) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Bombay Boys (On: 13-5-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: When I read that there's Rahul Bose in this movie, I knew it was going to be good. No wonder, it did) (Verbal Rating: A good movie, but you need a special taste to like it) (Numerical Rating: 75)

The Blue Lagoon (On: 4-5-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I wanted to watch this movie since many years. Today finally I did. It's a different type of a movie. It's as natural as things can get. There are no cell phones, no cars and no buildings. All that there is are animals, trees, leaves, insects, rains, and humans - the way god made us. It made me ponder whether the life depicted in this movie is really the ideal life... whether the happiness shown is really all that one needs) (Verbal Rating: A different type of movie. The story of how two kids grow up and discover love. Worth one watch) (Numerical Rating: 55)

The Killing of America (On: 3-4-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: An excellent documentary with 100% real footage about some of America's most notorious criminals and events. Although it's 27 years old, it shows how, when and why America has decayed culturally and morally, and is probably valid more today than ever) (Verbal Rating: An intense documentary about the decay and decline of modern America. A must watch) (Numerical Rating: 70)

A Mighty Heart (On: 1-4-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Well-made movie about the 'back-end' events surrounding the kidnapping and subsequent beheading of WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl. Irrfan Khan is superb, while Archie Panjabi is sweet - both as usual. This movie would've been better had there been some 'front-end' scenes of Daniel Pearl with the kidnappers) (Verbal Rating: A good movie. Reminds me of Traitor. Worth watching) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Cannibal Holocaust (On: 20-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I had read that this is one of the most controversial and banned movies of all time, and this sparked my interested. I wanted to see what is it about this movie that it got this infamous reputation. It turns out that the movie indeed is more gory than I had expected. The worst part, worse only to the blantant demeaning of women, is the real slaying of many animals) (Verbal Rating: My stance on this highly controversial film is that of almost support. An eye-opener, that shows us one of the darkest, unexplored sides of the world we've never seen. Eat your dinner before you watch it) (Numerical Rating: 50)

The Blair Witch Project (On: 19-3-09) (With: Arpit) (At: Noida) (Comments: I had heard of this movie from a long time, and had reasonably high expectations from it. Instead, I kept waiting for one good scene to come. Before anything good could come, the credit roll opened abruptly, leaving me not just disappointed, but a little annoyed as well... I want my 86 minutes back!) (Verbal Rating: A complete waste of time. The hype surrounding this fictional movie is unjustified) (Numerical Rating: 25-30)

Dil Kabaddi (On: 16-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I somehow had a feeling that with Irrfan Khan, Rahul Bose and Konkona Sen Sharma, this movie was going to be good. And it turned out to be just that. A humorous movie that portrays the sexually-disturbed lives of modern Indian couples, their desires and fantasies, and a constant mental battle they wage with their morality. The movie succeeds in balancing light-hearted humor with serious tones) (Verbal Rating: A well-made sex comedy with some fine performances by Irrfan Khan and Rahul Bose. Nice to watch) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Gulaal (On: 13-3-09 to 14-3-09) (With: Kapil) (At: TDI Paragon, New Delhi) (Comments: I was apprehensive about buying the tickets for Gulaal - a movie I had not heard about until last night. And I had quite low expectations, but gladly, Gulaal turns out to be a nice movie. It has a fresh theme that circles around politics and power, with crime, comedy and some sex thrown in to spice-up the serious plot. The first half is especially nice, while the second half - particularly the last quarter - appears somewhat confused and off-course. The end appears to be incomplete, as if something is missing. Overall though, a definitive thumbs up) (Verbal Rating: A fresh movie with a new theme. Gulaal is a pseudo art-movie that puts before the audience several aspects of the modern world - politics, violence, power, crime, and women - all of them naked) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Pearl Harbor (On: 12-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I had high hopes from this movie. And it let me down badly. Pearl Harbor could've been such a great movie. It could've narrated the tale of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in a memorable way. Instead, it turns out to be a monotonous, non-serious and emotionless drama, that's confused between a three-way love drama and the World War II event - doing justice to neither. The dialogs are awkward at best, and funny at worst. It's fun to see the actors using cool language in situations that should've been intense and serious) (Verbal Rating: An utter waste of time. It's a shame that this movie got an Oscar) (Numerical Rating: 50)

The Spy Who Loved Me (On: 11-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It may be a Bond movie, but The Spy Who Loved Me is a dated and stupid movie. Probably because it's late 2000s now. The gadgetry seems primitive and the whole environment is primitive as well. It's laughable to see characters using huge analog telephones, and using computers that look like microwave ovens. The more troubling part, however, is that the acting of most of the characters, and even many of the scenes themselves are outright stupid. It does have one memorable scene - the helicopter chase. Only three characters played their roles elegantly - Naomi, Anya Amasova, and Stromberg. 20 years later, someone else may say the same thing about Tomorrow Never Dies - a Bond movie I like - but the truth is, The Spy Who Loved Me failed to impress me) (Verbal Rating: A dated and largely stupid Bond movie that may have been ahead of its time in 1977. Not anymore) (Numerical Rating: 55)

Crimson Tide (On: 9-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Crimson Tide is as beautiful a movie as its name. Every bit about it is beautiful. Is powerful. Energizing. And inspiring. It's the story of two brave men - men who fight for their beliefs, for their country, and for mankind. Men who know what they're doing. It's a story that teaches us that two men with clashing opinions can both be both right and wrong - at the same time. Also noteworthy is the fact that there is almost no female role in this movie - there are men and men and men) (Verbal Rating: It's a beautiful movie. Of men, of merciless machines, of war, of mankind, of choices. Not to be missed) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

Taken (On: 8-3-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: When I had just started this movie, I didn't have much expectations from it. However, Taken turns out to be a rememberable action movie that keeps you hooked to the screen nearly all the time. It's the story of the relentless pursuit of a heroic father to save his teen-going-adult daughter from the human trafficking business. And it's worth watching) (Verbal Rating: A surprisingly good action movie that keeps you engaged and engrossed nearly all the time) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Delhi 6 (On: 1-3-09) (With: Yuvraj and Madhur) (At: M2K Rohini, Delhi) (Comments: Ever since I had heard of this upcoming movie named Delhi 6, and more so after I had watched one of its trailors, I had a strong feeling in me that no matter how the movie is reported to be, I am going to watch it. Today we went, and I am glad that contrary to what many of my friends had heard, Delhi 6 is a really nice movie. I wasn't aware of the plot, and I wasn't aware of the core concept of the movie (kala bandar), and I believe this contributed to me liking the movie so much) (Verbal Rating: An excellent movie that brings forward the themes of ignorance, illiteracy, and religious disputes using the kala bandar as a tool. A worth remembering movie) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Solaris (2002 version) (On: 22-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Solaris - unlike many other sci-fi flicks - provokes deep thought. It has the potential to haunt you, to make you think about life, existence, and mortality in new ways. Although it doesn't itself try to explain any of these, it touches the concepts of group mind, Gaia hypothesis, and collective consciousness. I didn't fully understand the movie, but whatever I did left me thoughtful and impressed. Hopefully I'll understand Solaris better when I read the original novel) (Verbal Rating: A sci-fi movie that can scare and haunt you. Painfully slow at times, but nonetheless a good watch for sci-fi fans) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Malèna (On: 21-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: Malèna is an altogether different type of movie. It's unlike any other non-Indian movie I've seen. It's a touchingly-told tale of a young boy transitioning from childhood to adoloscence, who develops obsessive sexual attraction for an unusually voluptuous 27-year old married woman. Hats-off to Giuseppe Sulfaro and Monica Belluci for their brilliant performances) (Verbal Rating: An art-movie that not only impresses you, it amazes you too) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Kidnap (On: 19-2-09 to 21-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: The movie-makers have tried hard to utilize Minissha Lamba to "spice up" the movie and cover its many deficiencies. They fail miserably) (Verbal Rating: A wannabe movie that an utter waste of time) (Numerical Rating: 35)

Predator (On: 18-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I've watched Predator at least twice previously, but that was years back. And today I felt like watching it again. Predator is a sci-fi movie about a hostage-rescue that goes awry when the rescuers discover that there's an extra-terrestrial creature hunting them down - one by one) (Verbal Rating: A nice sci-fi movie. Worth watching once) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Jab We Met (On: 17-2-09 to 18-2-09) (With: Alone / Ankur) (At: Noida) (Comments: My friends had told me quite many times that Jab We Met is a nice movie, and that I should watch it. Today I did, and I am happy to admit that they were right. Jab We Met is like a sweetly narrated fairy tale. Despite the utterly simple and bollywoodishly-predictable story, Jab We Met entertains you, makes you laugh, makes you smile, and sometimes touches you. Most of the credit for this goes to the lead actors. Kareena Kapoor has played her role way too good, and even Shahid Kapoor has acted quite well. Both are able to bring innocence to their characters. Overall, it's a lovely movie) (Verbal Rating: A nice movie that's as innocent as its lead characters. Touches you at times, makes you giggle at others. Worth the watch, especially for those in love) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Dev.D (On: 8-2-09 to 9-2-09) (With: Kapil) (At: TDI Paragon, New Delhi) (Comments: Devdas must change with the times, and how can we spare his name? The oddly named Dev.D is a different type of movie. After you're watched it, you feel like exclaiming "Wow! That was nice...". However, this feeling can't be foreseen when the movie just starts - in fact, looking at Paro, you may be tempted to write the movie off. That's when Chanda enters and not only lends the movie a gust of fresh air, but also gives it a new and interesting direction) (Verbal Rating: A hatke movie that shows the many shades of today's youth. It's fun to watch with your friends. Beware, however - this is not a movie to be watched with your parents) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Slumdog Millionaire (On: 7-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: After reading enough of the hype surrounding Slumdog, I finally fired it up today. Fortunately, the movie lives up to its hype. I had tears rolling down my eyes a couple of times during the movie, sometimes watching the misery of human beings living in Mumbai's slums, and sometimes watching Jamal's fearless love for Latika. Applause to the director of Slumdog Millionaire for making this wonderful movie. I, however, have two complaints. First, and most importantly, is with the term Slumdog. The term has been carefully coined to be as close to the line of offense as possible, and yet be sufficiently intriguing so as to generate interest. Danny Boyle should be ashamed of himself for insulting the millions of poor Indians living a life of misery in Mumbai's slums, just to lend the movie a provocative title. Second, the way the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire slings insluting statements towards Jamal based on his profession as a tea-server not only feels unnatural, it makes me feel angry. No sane host of a television show would dare to make such derogatory statements about someone's profession. These small qualms apart, Slumdog is a masterpiece that every human should watch. I don't know what thoughts will come to my mind the next time I see a blind kid, begging in a subway in Delhi) (Verbal Rating: One of the best motion pictures of all time. Capable of physically touching your heart) (Numerical Rating: 90)

National Geographic - On Board Air Force One (On: 3-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: One would have to be either a feelingless-stone, or a time-traveler from the future, to not be awed by the advanced and complex system named Air Force One. This documentary shows us the behind-the-scenes story of this majestic airplane, the symbol of the supreme influence of the United States of America in the world. And it doesn't fail to impress) (Verbal Rating: Breathtaking. Watch it if you haven't) (Numerical Rating: 85)

BBC Four - The Story of Maths - The Language of the Universe (On: 10-1-09, 1-2-09 and 3-2-09) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A well-made and highly insightful documentary on the dawn of the sophisticated discipline that conclusively governs the world around us - Mathematics. The Story of Maths takes us into the world of the Egyptians, the Babylonians, and the Greeks, and leaves the viewer amazed at the level of mathematical advancement these ancient civilizations had achieved. Only the BBC could have delivered a documentary of such quality) (Verbal Rating: A masterpiece documentary on one of my favorite subjects - Mathematics. Fascinating, thoroughly enjoyable, and an eye-opener as well) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Iron Man (On: 31-1-09) (With: Ankur) (At: Noida) (Comments: Iron Man is both a good and a bad movie. Good, because it is fun-filled and entertaining for the most part, has some excellent computer graphics, along with a fine story. Bad, because the movie feels stupid and childish at times. The reactor that Stark is wearing on his chest feels 'forced' most of the time, and it seems that this device has been introduced into the movie only to lend it a sci-fi touch. It is not hard to notice that this movie has copied more than a few ideas from the Terminator series. Another stupid twist is the way Iron Man suddenly converts from a fun filledaction movie to a full blown Terminator versus T-1000, or Spiderman versus Green Goblin movie, without any meaningful reason. To summarize, the movie lacks believability, it is easy to guess most of what is about to come, and most of what is not guessable, turns out to be stupid) (Verbal Rating: Good to watch once, or maybe twice, but certainly not worthy of the unusually large number of positive reviews that it has got) (Numerical Rating: 55-65)

Ghajini (On: 1-1-09) (With: Parents, Brother and Kapil) (At: Aarti Palace, Ludhiana) (Comments: Thank god, Bollywood has released a film with some nice acting and a hatke story. Ghajini, albeit allegedly copied from Memento, is a much-needed different story about a person who suffers from short-term memory loss. Despite its many obvious scientific flaws, the movie doesn't fail to impress. One can't stop oneself from falling for the genuinely sweet Kalpana, and one also can't fail to notice the realistic performance of Aamir Khan. My only qualms with the movie are - the force-feeding of songs, and its strange use of inappropriate electronic music in the background of many scenes, even some of the crucial ones - just like in Rang De Basanti - this felt very odd. Had the movie not been a loose copy of another movie, it would probably have garnered some international awards) (Verbal Rating: A well-made movie with a different story and terrific acting by the lead stars. Definitely deserves to be watched!) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

History Channel - Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Torture Tech (On: 29-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: A documentary that explores and tests the various gruesome torture techniques used on slaves and POWs in ancient empires. The documentary is insightful as well as interesting, and an unexpected positive side effect of watching it is that one learns some useful things about human anatomy) (Verbal Rating: An insightful documentary about ancient torture techniques. Also teaches some aspects of human anatomy. Worth watching once) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Fashion (On: 28-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: An insightful - albeit monotonous at times - journey into the dark side of the fashion industry. Fashion is interesting at the beginning, but it gradually starts getting monotonous because of an excessive number of ramp walk scenes. Some parts are interesting, while others are easily guessable, something non uncommon for Bollywood movies. Overall though, Fashion is an entertaining film, and it can also be called a primer on the Indian fashion industry) (Verbal Rating: A good movie on an unusual subject. Monotonous at times, but worth watching) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Discovery Channel - Everything You Need To Know - The Brain (On: 27-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: An eye-opening documentary that takes the viewer into the mysterious world of the human brain. The video starts with a brief introduction of the structure and functioning of the brain, and then moves to showing some amazing brainiacs, as well as some hard-to-believe medical incidents related to the human brain. Overall, the video makes the viewer realize that there is immense untapped potential in our brains. My only complaint with this documentary is that it doesn't teach viewers useful things that viewers could use to improve the functioning of their brains in a profitable way) (Verbal Rating: An interesting and insightful journey into the mysterious world of the brain. A must watch for everyone!) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Aitraaz (On: 26-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Ludhiana) (Comments: Although Aitraaz is a fairly typical Bollywood flick, it's slightly different because it's a pro-male movie. Aitraaz steps away from the oft-seen ideology that it's always men who are at fault for everything that happens to women, and narrates a tale of a beautiful and ambitious woman who tries to use her professional power to force her ex-lover to make physical relation with him. An interesting chain of events follows. This reversal of ideology is what makes this movie a little interesting) (Verbal Rating: A typical Bollywood movie which is fine to watch once) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Sorry Bhai! {On: (25-12-08) and (26-12-08)} {With: (Aayush, Piyush and Raghav) and (Alone)} {At: (Jalandhar) and (Ludhiana)} {Comments: Sorry Bhai! is a tale of two brothers and a girl. The movie is a much needed gust of fresh air, with an unusual yet refreshingly interesting plot. I liked nearly every portion of this movie, except the seemingly unnatural reaction of the elder brother, when his younger brother admits before him that he has fallen in love with his brother's fiancee. Newcomer Chitrangada Singh has played her role well, as have others. A nice thing about this movie is that it narrates this tale without getting too serious, and keeps things the way they should be kept - simple! A nice watch, especially for those who have a younger brother, like me!} {Verbal Rating: A nice movie, which will appeal more to the youth} {Numerical Rating: 65}

2001: A Space Odyssey (On: 13-12-08 to 14-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It's a strange movie, different from any movie I've seen to date. The way photography has been done, it seems as if the makers have a taste for paintings. Minimal use of dialogs, apparently arbitrary and unexplained scenes characterize this movie. The concepts presented in the movie are way ahead of the time when this movie was made, and most of them remain a dream even to this date. The special effects are so good that I'm confident that Bollywood is incapable of producing such effects even today, 4 decades after this movie was released. However, there were a few boring scenes, and I skipped them) (Verbal Rating: An ahead-of-its-time movie that is nice to watch) (Numerical Rating: 60-65)

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (On: 12-12-08 to 13-12-08) (With: Deepu, Karan and Natasha) (At: Wave Cinemas, Noida) (Comments: Overall a horse-shit movie, but does have a few nice scenes) (Verbal Rating: Don't waste your money or time for this shitty movie, unless of course you have nothing else to waste them on) (Numerical Rating: 30-35)

Traitor (On: 10-12-08 to 11-12-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I liked this movie. It takes one into the world of Islamic Jihadis, and presents their reasons for doing what they do - mostly against the USA - from a perspective that the USA never lets us know. And I have to admit that watching this movie, at times I did feel that the reasons they have for acting against the USA are genuine enough and strong enough. The movie runs at a nice pace, and almost all actors acted well. This movie reminds me if Babel, another movie I liked a lot, although there are hardly any parallels. Overall, a nice flick) (Verbal Rating: A dive into the world of Islamic Jihadis and their quest to terrorize the USA. Nice to watch!) (Numerical Rating: 65-70)

The Descent (On: 30-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: The Descent starts off with an interesting scene, although it slows down for a brief period after that. Subsequently though, as the core movie starts, it's all the way up. The movie is chock-full of suspense and violence, and a few unexpected events did manage to scare me a few times. The all-female cast performed brilliantly, with the lead character Sarah's transformation into a fearless soldier reminding me of Sarah Connor and The Terminator. The parallels with the equally good The Cave are hard to miss; in fact at times I felt as if both of the movie camps had installed insiders in the other's camp to ensure that any improvement in the story is copied promptly) (Verbal Rating: Absolutely thrilling horror movie!) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Hijack (On: 30-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It is clearly visible that the movie makers have tried to create a United 93. Sadly, but not surprisingly, they fail; and miserably. Hijack is a poorly made story of the ill-fated Indian Airlines flight IC 814. The movie has rare flashes of good content, but a multitude of laughably childish scenes mar the ocassional goodness that this movie does have. The "special effects" are blatantly unreal - kiddish most of the time - and the dialogs are overly generic and overemphasized nearly every time. Needless to say, the movie makers probably don't have any idea of a commercial passenger aircraft or a plane hijack situation) (Verbal Rating: Utterly timepass movie. To be watched only if there is nothing else to see. Even then you won't be able to stop yourself from laughing at some of the scenes which are supposed to be the most crucial ones) (Numerical Rating: 40-45)

Turistas (On: 29-11-08 to 30-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: There are two camps of people - those who hate this movie, and those who are surprised that many people hate this movie - read here and here. Well, I belong to the latter group. The movie isn't really a horror movie, although it does include a high dose of suspense and thrill. Some scenes are so bloody and gory that they may be unpalatable for many people. Overall though, I enjoyed this movie) (Verbal Rating: A nice thrilling movie) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Captivity (On: 25-11-08 to 27-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: The movie tries to act smarter than it is. It's a little less than 'fine to watch once') (Verbal Rating: Watch it only if you don't have anything better to watch. Most people will not like this movie) (Numerical Rating: 55)

Tortured (On: 23-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I didn't exactly enjoy this movie, as I didn't understand the plot well... guess the plot is a little confusing. But I could figure out some parts of it, and yes, some parts of this movie are nicely made. In particular, Cole Hauser was great! Other parts, though, can be boring. Overall, this movie gave me a glimpse of the torture methods used to mentally break down suspected criminals and extract information from them) (Verbal Rating: The movie has frequent graphic scenes, many of them very graphic in nature. Watch it only if you don't mind them) (Numerical Rating: 50)

The Dark Knight {On: (2-8-08) and (16-11-08)} {With: (Deepu, Karan, Natasha and Prashant) and (Alone/Ankur)} {At: (Delhi) and (Noida)} {Comments: (Because of my personal problems, I couldn't concentrate on the movie and couldn't enjoy it as much as I could have and should have) and (It's today, after watching it the second time, that I've truly understood and appreciated this masterpiece)} {Verbal Rating: (Absolutely awesome! Watch it if you haven't!) and (Wish I had a 50-inch home theater!)} {Numerical Rating: (75-85) and (85)}

Six Days Seven Nights (On: 15-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I first saw this movie a decade back, in 1998, at my classmate and friend Abhinav Oswal's home. God it feels so strange to be writing that it's been a decade since I watched this movie last time. It was his birthday celebration and I still remember so clearly how we all friends sat down in his room and watched this movie on a DVD on his Sony VAIO laptop. Good old days! As for the movie itself, it's a nice movie. A light-hearted movie that never gets serious. Fun to watch one time. It isn't memorable, except that there are some really beautiful and touching scenes of sea, islands, hills and forests. As for the acting, Harrison Ford's understated and manly role left me impressed, whereas the actress' over-acting left me a little turned off) (Verbal Rating: A light-hearted movie that is a nice one time watch, especially if you like adventure) (Numerical Rating: 60)

1920 (On: 15-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: One of the worst-made movies I've seen in a long time. The movie starts off nicely, and the first half is actually acceptable too, although one can start drawing parallels with Raaz quite soon. It's in the second half that disaster strikes. As the movie progresses, my feelings shifted from that of surprise (initially) and disappointment (increasingly) towards laughter and ultimately carelessness. The otherwise sweet and pretty actress was made to act like a ghost in (creatively) weird ways, and this felt like a major turn off. As the second half progressed further, the extent of absurdity, at times, made me want to stop the playback. I frequently tell my friends that we either laugh at the goodness of a joke, or at its absurdity. 1920, sadly to say, fits the latter very well) (Verbal Rating: It takes a lot of desire, creativity, hard work, time and money to create a movie which is as shitty as the oddly named 1920 is) (Numerical Rating: 35)

Mumbai Salsa (On: 13-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I liked the movie. It's the fourth movie- after Hello, Life in a Metro and Dil Dosti Etc- that teaches me about the life of youth in urban India. There were a few less-than-great scenes, but overall I enjoyed watching this movie) (Verbal Rating: Not for everyone. You'll like it if you like movies about romance, love affairs, etc.) (Numerical Rating: 70)

Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine (On: 11-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: It was an interesting documentary about the historic match between Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue (Kasparov lost the match to Deep Blue). I strongly believe that had IBM placed whole of Deep Blue in front of Garry, with Air Gap making sure that Deep Blue couldn't possibly receive any external/human help, not only would the match have been decisively fairer, Kasparov wouldn't have had any doubts about possible human intervention in the match) (Verbal Rating: An interesting, although a bit anti-IBM documentary. Definitely worth watching though) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Hello (On: 10-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: The movie sheds an unbiased light at the life of India's youth, increasingly employed at call-centers. I liked the movie and enjoyed all of it, except a small scene near 1:45 hours, where the movie gets slightly stupid for a short while. It is the third movie- after Dil Dolti Etc and Life in a Metro- that teaches me about the life (of youth) in metropolitan India. This is the first movie I've seen in which there's a two-level flashback; a flashback inside a flashback. If you found this fact interesting, you'll probably find this interesting as well) (Verbal Rating: A creative story which has been nicely told by the way of a memorable movie. Highly recommended if you are young and employed; You'll find a lot to relate to) (Numerical Rating: 80-85) (A worthwhile photo album on Hello is here)

Bachna Ae Haseeno (On: 7-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I just loved this movie, although there were many scenes right after the first 2 hours, which didn't quite fit the serious mood that had descended on the movie by that time. This movie strengthened some of my recent painful memories; memories that haunt me multiple times each day (before I fall asleep, when I wake up, while brushing my teeth, while taking bath, while driving to my company, while in the elevator, while working on my workstation, while watching a movie, while listening to music, even while reading a Gartner report... it's like it's on my mind all day, every day) even now. The movie has some really nice shots involving airplanes; it seems that the makers are as fascinated by these flying birds as I am. Finally, my skepticism for Ranbir Kapoor not just ended after watching this movie, I highly liked his performance in this movie) (Verbal Rating: You'll love this movie if you have been through some of the tormenting incidents that have been played in it. You'll like this movie if you like movies about love. Overall a nice movie) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Ted Bundy (On: 5-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: This is not a usual movie. It's about Ted Bundy, America's most celebrated genius serial killer. There's lots of gore in it- multiple rapes, brutal murders and an execution- although I strongly believe that this movie could have been made much better) (Verbal Rating: You should watch it only if you are interested in knowing about Ted Bundy, and if you can take all the gore that this movie has. If you fit this criteria, you will appreciate this movie) (Numerical Rating: 75-80)

Frequency (On: 2-11-08) (With: Alone/Ankur) (At: Noida) (Comments: Although it's fiction, it has been very well made with no boring part) (Verbal Rating: A thoroughly enjoyable watch for fans of sci-fi flicks) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

An American Crime (On: 2-11-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A true heart-wrenching account of torture and murder of Sylvia Marie Likens. I almost had tears in my eyes near end of the movie, feeling sorry for the little girl) (Verbal Rating: An awesome movie) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

Discovery Channel - Most Evil Mastermind (On: 30-10-08) (With: Alone/Ankur) (At: Noida) (Comments: An eye-opening journey inside the mind of a genius killer, and about the most high-profile murderers in the recent human history) (Verbal Rating: One of the best documentaries I've seen) (Numerical Rating: 85)

History Channel - Modern Marvels - Apollo 13 (On: ~Mid-October 2008) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I salute the crew and the mission control staff on the ground for pulling this most unlikely rescue mission. Apollo 13 is without dispute a triumph of the mankind, stubbornly defiant in the face of tragedy) (Verbal Rating: Will leave you both speechless and inspired, especially if you're an engineer) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Discovery Science - Apollo 11 - The Untold Story (On: ~Early October 2008) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: This nice documentary not only left me amazed and inspired, it also largely quashed my skepticism about the truthfulness of Apollo moon landings. It showed me how the famed Apollo 11 mission was actually on the verge of a disaster, not once but muptiple times during the course of the mission, a fact known to a handful few) (Verbal Rating: An enjoyable and insightful documentary about one of mankind's greatest triumphs) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Life in a Metro (On: 2-10-08) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: I had high hopes from this movie. It lived up to them. It proved to be as good an insight into the darker side of lives of metropolitan India as Dil Dosti Etc was) (Verbal Rating: An excellent, well made and memorable movie) (Numerical Rating: 85)

Untraceable (On: ~Sometime in early October) (With: Alone) (At: Noida) (Comments: A sci-fi flick packed with tons of gore and blood. Watch it only if you're comfortable with seeing blood-soaked human bodies) (Verbal Rating: It could have been made much better. As it stands now, it's a timepass movie. Recommended only if you have nothing better to watch) (Numerical Rating: 35-40)

National Geographic - Seconds From Disaster - Crash of the Concorde (On: 13-9-08) (With: Alone/Ankur) (At: Noida) (Comments: I enjoyed watching details of the year 2000 crash of Concorde. However, the documentary emphasizes the use of computer graphics a bit too much- more than what's apparent) (Verbal Rating: A thrilling documentary about fatal crash of one of the most iconic engineering marvels) (Numerical Rating: 80)

Dil Diya Hai (On: 30-7-08) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: Not very different from a typical Hindi movie. If you like typical Bollywood movies, you'll like this one) (Verbal Rating: A fine one-time watch for those who enjoy Bollywood movies) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Mission Impossible (On: 29-6-08) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: I watched this movie many years back, but had not quite understood it then. This time I not only understood it, but also enjoyed and appreciated it) (Verbal Rating: A great one-time watch. Has some memorable scenes) (Numerical Rating: 70-75)

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (On: 26-6-08) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: A thriller. Has more gore than its prequel, but the prequel was a little better than this one) (Verbal Rating: Good!) (Numerical Rating: 60)

Dil Dosti Etc (On: 22-6-08) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: I was left speechless. The movie taught me a lot about the youth of today's metropolitan India) (Verbal Rating: One of the best movies I have ever seen) (Numerical Rating: 90)

Final Destination 3 (On: 21-6-08) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: It's sad to see sequels degrading in quality as compared to originals. This one's no exception. Predictability and forced introduction of sexuality tends to spoil an otherwise interesting concept) (Verbal Rating: A fine one time watch. Not memorable though) (Numerical Rating: 65)

Next (On: 8-1-08) (With: Alone) (At: Hostel) (Comments: Good acting by Nicolas Cage and a nice movie overall, although it has a goof) (Verbal Rating: A nice one-time watch) (Numerical Rating: 70)

The Pursuit of Happyness (On: ~September 2007) (With: Alone) (At: Home) (Comments: I had tears in my eyes as the movie ended. Read more about my feelings in a blog post here) (Verbal Rating: One of the best and the most inspiring movies I have ever seen) (Numerical Rating: 85-90)

United 93 (On: ~Sometime in 2006 or maybe 2007) (With: Alone) (At: Hostel) (Comments: I had tears in my eyes as the movie ended) (Verbal Rating: One of the best movies I have ever seen) (Numerical Rating: 80-85)

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About me

Formerly Senior Analyst at Grail Research (an Integreon company; formerly a Monitor Group company). Graduated in Computer Science & Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering (University of Delhi). All opinions expressed here are my own, and are not associated with any of my employers. For more information about me, visit http://www.google.com/profiles/rishabhsingla2002